


Addio Del Passato Bei Sogni Ridenti

by orphan_account



Series: Another story line of the Vampire AU [3]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Gen, I don't know how vampire transitioning works but I guess nobody knows, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Character Death, Transitioning, because it's needed in transitions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:17:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22269013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: An alternate storyline to the original vampire AU, if Steph lived during the Vevey Incident and Koshiro wasn't changed into a zombie.There are tough decisions to be made.
Relationships: Stéphane Lambiel & Carolina Kostner, Stéphane Lambiel & Deniss Vasiljevs & Koshiro Shimada
Series: Another story line of the Vampire AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602937
Kudos: 2





	Addio Del Passato Bei Sogni Ridenti

**Author's Note:**

> The title is adapted from 'La Traviata' Act 3; "Farewell to the beautiful laughing dreams of the past", as Violetta says goodbye to her love and hope in her deathbed.

_25 August, 2038_

Carolina was no longer surprised to find people, injured or fleeing people, of all species, in the dense forest near her cottage. After all, she lived in the woods bordering three central European countries; and she knew there were many underground groups active around this regions. It’s mountainous, with many species’ territories scattering around. It’s easy enough to hide, and most of the time, governments of any species would not even bother entering this region to search for their wanted, simply because the officials could run into more trouble, unless these people were very high up on the wanted list.

However, she was surprised to find her old friend at midnight, near the stream.

“Steph?” she identified the human with the dim moonlight, with two other young people. She recognized one as Deniss, the vampire lived with Stephane and his partner, but she had never seen the tall and thin Asian man- or maybe he was more like a boy. “I thought you were in Montreux...wait.” the nymph noticed some bandaging under his collar, “Are you injured?”

“…Yes.” The Asian young man answered, “Only Steph. We are fine…kind of.”

Stephane gave her a weak smile. “I was there…and, the human government is now after us. Luckily we were still able to navigate ourselves to this area. I don’t know if they’ll…”

Carolina interrupted him. “Come to my place.” She looked around to make sure no one was around, “Before they decide to come into this land. I mean, what you did is sufficient for them to risk it.” She wasn’t sure about Deniss and the other man, but Stephane had been declared a traitor a long time ago. Even worse, he managed to get himself into more trouble by appearing and speaking at the Montreux rally less than a month before. Sure, it was inspirational enough to rekindle the fights in Western and Southern European countries, but she still couldn’t say it was a wise idea.

Deniss carried Stephane and followed the nymph, feeling kind of relieved. Nymphs are immortal and beautiful, but more importantly, they have immensely powerful healing abilities. Maybe she’ll be able to heal Stephane.

Carolina’s cottage was nearby, a wooden house decorated by vines and wild flowers. She brought them straight into her bedroom, and helped Deniss to get Stephane onto her bed.

“How serious was…this?” Carolina quickly undid the buttons on Stephane’s dark grey shirt, “I mean, when and what was it, and how did you treat it?”To be honest, it didn’t look great. Even with bandaging, she frowned as she saw blood seeping through. “No stitching?”

“Five days ago.” Deniss answered, “A gun shot. We took the bullet out but…we don’t have any things other than lint made from our spare clothes.”

Carolina quickly cut the bandaging off. In these few years, as the underground organizations formed and developed, she had helped many people with her gifted power. She was never formally a member of any group, but her cottage door was always open for those people.

And in fact, she was right. It’s a deep wound, clearly infected. If it’s left open with such basic bandaging, and considering the fact that it were raining in the past few days, it won’t be good.

Deniss and Koshiro-Carolina heard the Asian boy’s name as Deniss talked to him-were good helpers. Carolina tried not to think why they were so familiar with the basic first-aid measures, even to the level of proficiency. These years must be very tough for both of them.

“Are there anything else that would need to be treated?” she cut the thread off and started to finish off with some clean bandage, “If you know of any?”

Koshiro shook his head, but Deniss didn’t respond immediately.

“...All right. Deniss, would you come with me to the kitchen? I need you to make something…for Steph’s fever.” Carolina noticed him. Nymphs weren’t telepathic by any means, but they could sense unusual emotions.

She closed the kitchen door and turned around to look at Deniss. “Was there something that you don’t feel comfortable to say, in front of Steph, or Koshiro?”

Deniss sighed heavily. “Actually, yes.” He pulled his golden-brown hair back to keep them away from his eyes, “I think he had some sort of sleep deprivation-but, um, I don’t know how much of it was by choice, and how much wasn’t. Especially in these months, since we had to move at night and find somewhere to rest during the day. I think Koshiro may have the same problem, because human body wasn’t tuned for this…but Steph’s problems were more serious, I guess. I knew Koshiro normally sleep well-okay, slightly better-but Steph was too vigilant. I suspect if the rest he got was sufficient for him to function.”

Carolina could roughly guess the reason for Stephane’s sleep quality, but she chose to stay silent. Deniss didn’t need to hear it, after all the baggage he had to carry.

“It’s safe here, and the warmth and quietness should help a little bit.” She walked to the cupboard, “but if it’s that bad…Nymphs couldn’t restore energy into people, but at least we could help them with getting some more rest.”

“Here,” she found a couple of containers with dried leaves, “would you mind just get some hot water and make a brew? I’ll find you the instruction.”

Deniss nodded. Carolina rushed back after telling him what to do, and he stared at the boiling water on the stove.

_We are temporarily safe. What’s the next step?_

_8 September, 2038_

Carolina sat on the edge of her bed and placed a palm on Stephane’s forehead. He was still having a high fever. She didn’t want to even think about it, let alone telling the two boys and Stephane, that she might not be able to do anything else. It wasn’t just a wound, but systemic infection coupled with exhaustion. She still had no idea what happened to them in the past month while they fled from the governmental forces, and in the past ten years.

The door creaked open while Deniss and Koshiro walked in. Carolina had very limited food supply, as she didn’t need to eat anyway; so Koshiro and Deniss went out for food hunt every night, often managed to bring some mushrooms and wild animals back.

Carolina stood up and tried to pretend everything was normal. “Deniss,” She said, “would you mind coming to the kitchen and making a brew? I’ll show you where the herbs are. You’ll need something else today.”

Deniss nodded and followed her. He had been making herbal brews for Stephane since Stephane revealed his cooking talent to her, and he was more than happy to help the nymph with it.

“Deniss.” Carolina closed the kitchen door and took a deep breath, “Actually…make something sweet.”

Deniss frowned. “Sweet? What ingredients do I need for this?” It was not a clear instruction, unlike anything he received from her in brewing.

“I…” Carolina tried very best not to cry straight away. “Honey, licorice, fruits, or even just sugar. Anything. I’m not sure if I can…” She covered her mouth and sobbed. It wasn’t the first person whom she failed to heal, but when the person had been a long-time friend, it wasn’t the same. “I don’t want to tell you this in front of him, but I couldn’t ask both you and Koshiro to come out of the room…I’ll tell Koshiro to come down later…I think he also needs to know.”

Deniss held the pot in his arms, stunned. “I…wait, I didn’t expect the wound to be that serious?”

Carolina wiped her face. She needed to return to the bedroom to find Koshiro, and she’d better not let Stephane notice her crying. “It wasn’t only the wound and infection. I have a feeling that his body couldn’t take it anymore, and…we nymphs call it ‘cinder’. It’s like…the energies are drained. It is strange, because as a human, he’s still too young to reach that stage.”

Deniss put the pot down and supported himself on the kitchen counter. “Why would…?”

“Sometimes consumptive diseases, but most of the time we can find the original cause and fix it…but I didn’t find anything. I suspect it was merely exhaustion.” Carolina sighed. “I…sorry. Nymphs can ‘relit’ the fire of life in somebody, but not without the cinder, which must come from themselves…”

Deniss put the pot on the stake and lit the fire with shaking hands. “…I’ll tell Koshiro.” He bit on his lower lips to stop himself from crying, “I…” he sighed, “thank you, Caro.”

Caro stared at the vampire for a while, watching him putting fresh berries and some herbs into the pot. She left the kitchen, wiped her face again and forced herself to smile.

“Koshiro?” Carolina knocked on her bedroom door, “Deniss asks if you mind going to the kitchen to help him with some cutting and preparation?”

The boy stopped his work among a bunch of mushrooms. They always go out in the evening or early night, both to avoid being seen by anyone and to avoid sunlight. Koshiro could only sort out the edible ones from all their harvests when he’s back in the cottage. “Sure.” He jumped across all the mushrooms around him and went downstairs.

“Caro.” Stephane turned to look at her as she resumed Koshiro’s work, “How long have you been staying here?”

Carolina looked up at her human friend’s flushed cheeks and pale lips. “Almost ten years.” She blinked her eyes and merely stopped herself from sobbing, “I stayed a while in Germany after…you know, and moved back here.”

“Ten years.” Stephane sighed, “I haven’t realized it had been so long. Time flies.”

Carolina didn’t reply. She didn’t know if Stephane had noticed anything, from her or from within. It was rumoured that the mortals frequently know it when the time comes for them.

“The boy, I mean, Deniss.” Carolina looked back at the bedroom door to make sure Deniss and Koshiro were not back yet. “He had changed a lot. I mean, he’s now less like a boy, as I have remembered many years ago. He’s a man now.”

“Well…he’s no longer the youngest among us. By the way, how difficult is today’s brew? I really hope the bitterness wouldn’t match the complexity.”

Carolina knew she should laugh, or at least smile, at Stephane’s attempt to make a joke. But she couldn’t. “It wasn’t that difficult, and I think it should be, um, a little bit sweet? I’ve never tasted it, but the ingredients are. Deniss realized we are short of finely chopped dry edelweiss petals-we only had them as the whole plant. But he had started, so he asked for Koshiro’s help. It should also be a fairly quick one to make…if they don’t burn it.”

Stephane smiled. “Deniss won’t.”

Koshiro pushed the door open and let Deniss inside. Instead of the pot, he had poured the brew into a large mug this time.

“The ingredient list sounds promising,” Deniss attempted to put on a smile as he sat down on the other side of the bed and helped Stephane into a half-sit position, “although I don’t know if you’ll like licorice.”

“…I really couldn’t say I hate anything else, after that moss-tasting brew the other day.” Stephane slowly finished the brew as Deniss held the mug for him, “by the way, I have a question to ask you.” He said softly, “Deniss.”

Deniss put the mug on the nightstand. “Yes, Steph?” _Anything about your conditions, _he thought. Carolina might be able to hide it, but if Stephane asked him, he won’t be able to lie. His tears might betray him immediately.

“Do you know how to make a human undergo transition to vampire?” It was slow, but not weak. Not hesitant. It wasn’t like asking about transitioning, but more like just a casual ‘how’s the weather today’.

“What?” Deniss looked at him in surprise, “I don’t-”

“Are you sure?” Carolina stared at Stephane. “You-”

She knew Stephane when he first started as a crisis responder, and she knew how much he held dear onto his human identity. On top of this, he was a Christian. Although transitioning into a vampire could heal all the life-threatening injuries and current conditions, he’ll need to give up his biological identity and to renounce his religious faith.

“There’re too many things to do.” Stephane pressed the cross-shaped pendant closer to his chest, “I guess…that’s the most important for me now.”

All three of them weren’t behaving normally tonight. Stephane had noticed Carolina’s pink eyelids and her nasal sound, most likely from crying. Deniss normally ask Carolina to look at the brew he made before giving it to him. Koshiro wasn’t going to bed after he finished sorting out the food, and Deniss and Carolina weren’t nagging him to go to sleep.

Carolina exchanged a look with the boys, and she nodded. “…I know.” As a nymph, she had been in this world for hundreds of years. She had seen a lot, and she knew a lot. “Conveniently we have a vampire and a human here. Not you,” she added, “A human other than you. You’ll need blood from both of them.”

Stephane frowned. “How much does this need?”

“…at least a sip each.” Carolina pushed the mug away, “if you’re worried, this shouldn’t put any of their health and safety at risk. Are you really sure you want…?” She knew it’s the only way to keep him alive-but not as a human anymore.

“I’ll need their permission first.” Stephane kept his palm on the pendant, “don’t feel pressurized, though.”

“-Sure.”

“-Yes.”

Deniss and Koshiro looked at each other and replied at the same time. They need this chance, and they knew their work needs Stephane.

“You’ll have to consume some vampire blood first.” Carolina explained, “and then, after a human’s mortal death, you should wake up at some time-time varies from a few minutes to a couple of days, as far as I know. Then you’ll need to consume some human blood within a day.” She continued before anyone of the three men could speak, “Before anything, how did you know?” There’s no point in concealing it now.

“A feeling, I guess?” Stephane looked into the void in the rustic bedroom, “It’s difficult to explain, but my body was telling my mind it couldn’t continue.”

It was partially true, since that kind of fatigue didn’t just start in these few days. But it could at least make them feel better.

“And if…”Stephane hesitated for a while, as if trying to find the best way to express it, “The idea didn’t come to my mind just now. I was thinking about it for quite some time, but I…still want to remain as a human, as how I was born, as long as possible.” He smiled, “I guess now it’s the time.”

The room fell in to silence for a brief minute, before Carolina stood up and left them. She knew it wasn’t the best manner, but she didn’t want to cry again now. She’s the only person who knew how to do it, and she must remain as calm as possible.

Deniss and Koshiro looked at each other. The nymph didn’t usually do this.

“Don’t worry, boys.” Stephane still had the smile lingering around the corner of his mouth, “She’s…maybe just mad at me.”

She came back after a moment, with another tray in hand. There was a small glass looked like a shot glass, and a silvery knife.

“Luckily I could still find this.” She wiped the knife clean with a piece of cloth, “The last one I’ve seen…was more than two hundred years ago.” She shivered as the memory came back to her, “It won’t be an easy time.”

“I wouldn’t even ask if I want the easy way out. I just need to wait.” Stephane laced his fingers together, “this?”

Carolina put the knife down. “Silver. You know it better than me.”

Indeed, Stephane knew it better. He had served as a responder for almost twenty years, and used to have a vampire partner. There were only three things in the world that could actually do harm to a vampire. Sunlight, cross, and silver.

The knife was for Deniss.

And Deniss knew this, after months and years of exile and fight. He didn’t say anything, but picked the knife up.

“I can help if you-”Carolina didn’t finish it. Deniss took a deep breath, clasped his left hand into fist, and quickly slashed his own flesh. It was painful, given the effect of silver on vampires, it almost felt the wound is burnt by the knife. He let the blood drip into the glass, watching it slowly fill up. The burning sensation faded away quickly once the silver lost contact with his flesh, but he couldn’t stop thinking about other things.

How did it feel to be exposed to summer sunlight? And how did it feel, as a human, for a piece of red-hot metal to burn a permanent mark onto the skin?

Carolina wordlessly grabbed his bleeding wrist and wrapped bandage around them. “It wasn’t deep,” she said as finishing it with a secure knot, “And it should heal within a day. If it didn’t…I’ll see if a stitch was necessary.” She had to detach herself from this whole melancholic emotion so that there could be absolutely nothing wrong. She never liked the idea of transitioning, but she’ll do it if that was her friend’s last wish-as a human.

Stephane downed the small glass without saying anything, and Carolina took the glass away from him.

“Don’t think about anything now.” Carolina helped him to lie down back on the bed, “Get some sleep. We’ll be here when you wake up again.”

Stephane turned to drop a kiss on the back of her hand, and closed his eyes. This human body could finally have a rest.

_9 September 2038_

Carolina waited with two boys in the bedroom. Deniss brought some armchairs from the lounge, knowing that they’ll probably have a long wait. Just before dawn, Deniss jumped up from his chair.

“Deniss?” Koshiro whispered, “What?”

Deniss’s voice was shaking. “…Can we all hold our breaths for a moment?”

He was able to hear four breathing sounds during the night. And he suspected a second ago, there’s short of one.

Silence. No breathing. Three different heartbeats, including his own.

Deniss flung himself to the bedside and placed his palm on Stephane’s neck. He couldn’t feel any pulse, and the skin was remarkably colder than his own.

Carolina stood up and removed the necklace from him. Once the vampire blood starts to change his human body, the cross could hurt him and burn his skin.

The necklace fell to the floor in her shaking hands, and the other round-shaped pendant clicked open.

The cross was just a normal cross, but the round-shaped pendant wasn’t. It was formed of two pieces of metal. When she rushed to pick it up, all of them saw that there was a small photo inside it. The color had faded away, but she still recognized the two people on it as the younger Stephane and Chris.

She froze for a second, picked the necklace up, secured both pieces of metals together and found a piece of cloth to wrap them up, placing it under the pillow. Stephane wouldn’t be able to wear it anymore, but he must still wish to keep it, keep his faith and his love.

“I suggest…we take turns to sleep?” she said softly, knowing that both Deniss and Koshiro would have been exhausted by now. “I’ll take the first shift. Have some rest, I’ll wake both of you up if..if Steph wakes up.”

“How long does it take for….?” Deniss looked at the glass, unwashed, still had some of his blood on it.

Carolina shook her head. “I’ve heard about humans waking up within hours, but there were also some who didn’t until a week later. That’s why we have to take turns. Go.”

She knew the two boys might not actually want to sleep, or even be able to sleep. However, letting them staying in the bedroom definitely won’t help.

She sat herself down on the bed, and very gently, wiped Stephane’s lips with the same cloth.

“I’ll see you again in…Well, I don’t know.” She smiled and finally let her tears stream down.

_12 September 2038_

It was just after midnight, and Koshiro and Carolina went to rest. Surprisingly, Carolina had a collection of books related to the original treaty; Deniss could finally start to read them, something he thought about doing but didn’t do fifteen years ago.

Chris was right. Deniss sighed as he read the same paragraph for the third time. It was extremely difficult to read, with such a language style and vocabulary, without Chris’s annotations. Just as he started to read for the fourth time, he heard a breathing sound, which wasn’t his own.

He dropped the book, moved quickly to bed side, and indeed could hear Stephane’s breathing. He didn’t look as calm as four days ago. His lips were tightly pressed together, with a deep frown and very labored breathing.

“Caro! Koshiro!” He ran to the lounge where the two would be sleeping, “Stephane’s…” ‘Awake’ might not be the most appropriate word, since he technically wasn’t really conscious.

But they don’t need more explanation. They sprang up to their feet from the sofas they were sleeping on, without even stopping to find their slippers.

“Caro… what’s this?” Deniss realized Stephane’s breath was even more irregular and shallow than a minute before, as if he was enduring huge discomfort.

“Vampire blood is transforming his body.” Carolina sat down on the bed and pulled the man into an embrace, as if it could relieve some of his pain. “From someone else’s description…it was like the blood was literally boiling and all organs were crushed.” She knew Stephane would never tell these young men about it. “And the fangs would be growing-but that is minor.”

Koshiro squeezed Deniss’s hand, and Deniss did the same thing. Carolina said it wouldn’t be easy, but none of them had expected this. Did Stephane know this before he made the decision?

Stephane suddenly jolted and coughed, opening his eyes slowly, still frowning.

“Steph!” Koshiro shouted in almost ecstasy, thinking that the transition had finally be completed, “You’re…”

Stephane didn’t really hear him. Everything seemed so loud, the smells overwhelming and the light too bright. He had a moment of confusion, not knowing where he was. He remembered the snow, the mountain, the stars, and the sunrise. He was in someone’s arms-with Chris.

It took him a minute to understand everything around him. The soft material under him wasn’t the cold snow, but some warm bedding; the bright light wasn’t from the sun, but from a small lamp on the nightstand. And he wasn’t in his lover’s arms. …Well, he did date Carolina many years ago, but now they had only a platonic relationship.

And the real memories slowly came back to him. He wasn’t on the rocky mountains, but instead turned to underground resistance group in the dense forests. The pain wasn’t from a gunshot, but from much deeper in his body, in his blood and bones. He didn’t walk to the end hand-in-hand with his lover. He had stumbled alone in the dark for ten years, and thanks to his decision, there’ll be many more years to come.

“Steph? Steph?” Carolina continued to call him in the most soft and gentle voice possible, knowing that the sudden change in sensation sensitivity could be overwhelming. As Stephane’s brown eye started to gain back focus, she whispered, “How are you feeling now?”

“Caro…”Stephane sobbed as he finally could see her face clearly, “I…I missed him. I missed him so much all these years…”

No one needs him to explain whom he was referring to, but none of them could say anything now.

Koshiro looked quite shocked as Stephane broke into tears and pressed his face on Carolina’s shoulder like a child. He had been living and working with Stephane for more than five years, and he had never seen him crying.

Deniss tugged on Koshiro’s hand and both of them left the room, closing the door behind them. They silently walked outside to the backyard, so that Stephane wouldn’t be able to hear them-although he might not notice anything now.

Carolina didn’t stop them. There’s still some time before the 24 hour mark, and Stephane wouldn’t need human blood just yet. Also, in his current mental state, it might not be the best time.

“…He wasn’t like this-I mean, what you’ve seen-before.” Deniss looked up to the moon which was half-hiding behind the clouds, “He was a very emotional person, as far as I can remember.”

Koshiro didn’t speak. In his memory, Stephane was a relatively cheerful person, even under the worst circumstances. He was a father figure and mentor to them, and every time when there’s a setback, Stephane’s always there for them-let it be their fleeing and exile, or Koshiro’s occasional homesickness. Koshiro had never seen him being discouraged, let alone such a complete emotional breakdown.

“I…he changed a lot…which year it is now?”Deniss sighed. He sometimes felt that he lost track of time as the conflict goes on, and time seemed to pass much slower in Carolina’s cottage.

Koshiro turned to look at Deniss with concern and placed a palm on the vampire’s shoulder. “2038.”

“2038…then it was ten years ago. After Chris passed away. Carolina said it was exhaustion, but I think this, all the mental thing, might have some effects as well. I don’t know…but I feel,” He choked, “I feel it would be good if he could just let all his emotions out for a while, even just temporarily.”

Koshiro wrapped himself tighter in his coat and sat down under the roof. “Deniss,” he asked softly, “If you don’t mind…could you tell me something about them?...I mean, about them and you?”

Deniss tipped his toes and looked into the bedroom window. Carolina was gently brushing Stephane’s dark curls with her fingers. “As far back as I can go…it was fifteen years ago, a few days before Christmas, during a snowy night on the mountains.”


End file.
